For the second year the first stage of 2010 IFBB Kentucky Muscle Pro Figure was taken by Cheryl Brown. The top tree was completed by Chelsey Morgenstern and Candice Keene. Below you can see result for this competition:
It was as close a battle as any we’ve seen on the Figure Olympia stage, but when it was all said and done, a new champion emerged as Erin Stern edged out 2009 winner Nicole Wilkins-Lee in a down-to-the-wire finish that was one of the most exciting in the sport’s history.
Stern has been rising steadily up the ranks since she won her pro card at the 2008 NPC Nationals. She placed sixth here last year and won her first pro show, the Europa Show of Champions, earlier this April.
After placing second to Wilkins-Lee at the Figure International in March, there was little question that the two would be the marquee matchup in Las Vegas. At yesterday’s prejudging, Stern showed slightly better details and hardness while Wilkins-Lee sported a bit more roundness and fullness.
Two more rookies came to Detroit for the last IFBB Pro Bikini contest to qualify for the 2010 Olympia, and they both garnered the top spots. Noemi Olah from Hungary blew away the competition, and could be a very serious contender for the top six at the Olympia next week. Christy Merritt also wowed the judges, and Dina Al-Sabah, after improving at each contest, garned the last qualifying spot for the Bikini Olympia. Congratulations! Davana Medina, on her first pro contest as a bikini competitor, placed 5th, still a little too muscular but quite impressive.
The 2010 IFBB Tournament of Champions took place in Culver City, California over the weekend. Promoter, Jon Lindsay did another tremendous job with this contest which was held in conjunction with a NPC event. It was refreshing to see a large turnout (18) from the pro bikini competitors. The top three women qualified for next weekend’s first ever Bikini Olympia. Sonia Gonzales notched her third win in the bikini division. Her only loss was in Pittsburgh to Nathalia Melo. Rookies Brooke Mora and Anca Marcus both qualified in their first pro shows.
This Saturday, 18 IFBB Bikini Pros will take the stage at the IFBB Tournament of Champions held in Culver City, California. The show is the second-to-last competition for those hoping to lock in a spot in the first Bikini Olympia. There are a number of women making their pro debuts and a few familiar names.
The IFBB Pro Bikini competitors slated to appear include:
1. Dina Al-Sabah (Kuwait) 2. Jennifer Celeste (USA) 3. Jessica Clay (USA) 4. Michele D’Angona (USA) 5. Jennifer Dietrick (USA) 6. Sonia Gonzales (USA) 7. Michele Gullett (USA) 8. Kat Holmes (USA) 9. Rachel Labender (USA) 10. Anca Marcus (Romania) 11. Cathy Miller (USA) 12. Nicole Moneer-Guerrero (USA) 13. Brook Mora (USA) 14. Karen Mullarkey (USA) 15. Natalie Pennington (USA) 16. Vanessa Prebyl (USA) 17. Zhanna Rotar (USA) 18. Christina Vargas (USA)
My Top Contenders: Dina Al-Sabah has steadily improved with every show and has found her way around the new division. She teamed up with TEAM BOMBSHELL a few weeks ago and the results have paid off. Look for her to be one of the names called out in the top five.
Jennifer Celeste will be making her pro debut. She turned pro at the 2009 NPC JR Nationals and has good bikini physique. Since we haven’t seen her on stage in over a year it’s a roll of the dice on what her current physique looks like in a bikini. Jennifer is currently living in Los Angeles and has the added advantage of not having to travel.
Golden’s special Olympia issue, out this week, features a groundbreaking workout with all three reigning Ms. Olympia’s: Iris Kyle (bodybuilding), Nicole Wilkins-Lee (figure) and Adela Garcia (fitness). They trade sets, combining exercises and techniques and sharing training secrets. Through the course of that workout, we learned precisely what each of the three does on back day, and we’ll be sharing those routines with you here at flexonline.com.
First up is the reigning Figure Olympia winner Nicole Wilkins-Lee. As the 26-year-old beauty prepares to defend her title on September 24-25, she shared some back training tips with us, and she details the back routine that has helped her win her win four contests in a row, including last year’s Figure O and this year’s Figure International. And be sure to see all four Olympia winners training back in the new collector’s edition of Golden: Wilkins-Lee, Garcia and Kyle together and, in another Golden exclusive workout shoot, reigning Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler.
The last time that we saw Zivile Raudoniene, she was on stage receiving accolades from none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger after winning the 2009 Ms. Figure International. The young Lithuanian appeared to be on the verge of dominating the division and had already finished third at the Figure Olympia the year before.
But then she walked away from the IFBB to join World Wrestling Entertainment.
What seemed like a shock at the time made more sense when you take into consideration that WWE mogul Vince McMahon has deep pockets and his product receives worldwide exposure on television and pay-per-view events every week and month, respectively. It’s hard to blame her for making the move.
Missing the 2006 IFBB Figure Olympia, Medina retired from the sport and had a daughter named Davela with her husband. She was virtually missing from the NPC and IFBB scene for several years until she was spotted at a NPC show in late 2009. Recently on July 14, 2010 by her manager, FMG, was confirmed that Davana would be making a comeback to the competitive stage as a bikini competitor at the IFBB Europa Hartford Bikini Championships
FMG PRESS RELEASE On July 14, 2010, at the 2010 NPC Team Universe Championships which took place in N.J., through audience, everybody took attention to the 3-time IFBB Figure Olympia champion Davana Medina, who was enjoying the competition. Those that saw her realized she wasn’t just there as a spectator, she was there to do some research. Everybody was curious to know if she is coming back to competition. Davana didn’t let on then but we are here to confirm the rumors that Davana Medina is returning to the IFBB & will be making her return competing in the 2010 IFBB Europa Show Of Champions Pro Bikini in Hartford on July 23rd & 24th. And she has re-signed with FMG who had the great pleasure of managing Davana Medina’s entire NPC & IFBB career starting in 2001 until her retirement. Davana is also the first former FMG athlete that we have re-signed to work with.
The ’10 IFBB New York Pro Figure (and NPC Team Universe and Fitness Nationals) got off to a big start last night in Hackensack, New Jersey. From the callouts and photos it appears that Cheryl Brown, a 38-year-old mother of three who’s had a sensational string of top-three finishes since turning pro last summer at the IFBB North American Championships, is on tap to score her second win. Also that Terri Turner and Gennifer Strobo could be nabbing the other two Olympia-qualifying spots.
In what can only be described as one of the most shocking fitness industry news developments in the history of women’s physique sports, Monica Brant announced tonight in Calgary, Alberta on center stage at the WBFF Alberta Championships, that she has left the IFBB after 16 years and will now be competing in the WBFF.
Brant will make her WBFF Pro Debut on September 18th in Toronto at the WBFF World Championships. On why she made the move at this point in her career Brant explained that there were a number of factors that contributed to the decision and that it had been coming for a long time. Insisting on remaining positive and focussing on the future Brant explained that is was the unique opportunities that the WBFF provides their athletes that sealed the deal, “I love competing and I love interacting with the fans, and the WBFF is offering
A couple little birdies are chirp’n that the first Figure Olympia champ, Davana Medina is returning to the IFBB stage but this time in the bikini division. Davana won the Figure Olympia in 2003, 2004 and 2005. She stepped away from the stage and has since become a proud mother. Stay tuned for more info on Davana’s return to competition and if/when it might be…
By choosing track instead of treadmill, the stretch and training can be considered by itself workout if it done correctly! Athletes must warm up: to increase body temperature, increase muscle elasticity, start the metabolic processes involved with exercise, and to prevent injury. It can be compared with you wouldn’t walk out of the locker room at the gym and squat 200 lbs, you don’t want to show up at the track and just start running.
A better distance to start is 800 meter.
Then mark out 20 meters, or about 65’ on the track or on the field for sprint drills. You can use anything to mark off this distance – wherever you have at that moment. The key of these exercises is to take short, very quick steps, but cover very little ground while doing them. Each drill is executed for 20 meters, with a stride/brisk jog out of the drill for about 20 meters. After you finish with this exercise, walk to the start.